Flickr: Mike Hardisty Photography

Over the holiday period I conducted an annual audit of my images which are posted on my blog, Flickr account and website. It saddens me to say that this year I have found many more than normal being given away as free wallpapers, used on commercial sites and in some cases being combined with other images to be sold on stock photography sites.

I have supported Creative Commons Licensing for some time now and had no objections to images being used as long as I was attributed as the photographer. My reasoning has always been that some images will be used, with or without my permission, if they are published on the web. Anyone who believes differently is naive. However, I mistakenly thought that by making my images CC with attribution I would at least get some recognition if an image was used. How wrong I was.

Therefore, as from today, 09 Jan 2012 all images I publish to the web, on any site, will now be in low resolution, small size (no greater than 750 pixels on the largest side) and contain a watermark establishing my copyright.. I will also be embedding in the EXIF data my copyright of images that I produce.

It looks like you’ve seen my images around the web and thought you should take a closer look because you liked what you saw. No! Did I get it wrong? Stay anyway. What’s the harm and you might like what you see?

I create images. An unusual word to use with photography, create. But it’s true. It’s very rare that I post an image S.O.O.C. (straight out of camera.) I’m a firm believer in using software like Photoshop on my original image to transform it into my vision, although nowadays it’s PaintShop Pro X4. “Oh no, another Photochopper” I hear you say, “Get me out of here”.

But wait. Think about it. Why should I let the software geeks and ultimately the processor of my camera dictate what the final image will look like? It’s my photograph, my vision. For this reason it’s very rare that I take single exposures.

I nearly always create multiple exposures, with a tripod it’s usually brackets of five (-2 to +2) in 1Ev steps, handheld, same range but three brackets instead. These are blended together on my computer, normally by HDR but sometimes I use manual stitching; to create what I think is the perfect exposure. Remember, it’s my vision. That’s right; I’m a practitioner of the black art of HDR.

Right from the start I learned how to shoot in manual, TV, AV, you know all the fun modes. Why let a machine make the decisions that’s how SKYNET started and we all know what happened there. I like using creative techniques, HDR, Long Exposure, Exposure Fusion, Panoramas, and Light Painting.

Still with me? I just want to talk about gear, especially for HDR. First of all you need a camera. It doesn’t have to be a high end DSLR with loads of expensive lenses to get great looking images. However it should have extensive controls with manual and bulb settings. Another thing you definitely need is a sturdy tripod for long exposures. Trust me, you do, unless you want to constantly set your camera on top of something and prop it up with whatever’s lying around. Here’s my gear

Cameras:
Samsung GX-10
Samsung PL211
Fuji FinePix S9600
Lenses:
Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3
Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3
Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Schneider-Kreuznach D-Xenon 50-200mm f/4-5.6
Other Gear:
Red Snapper RS284 Tripod
Red Snapper RS12 Ballhead
Giottos MML3270B Monopod
Giottos MH1300 Ball Head
ND Filters
Polarizing Filters
Infrared Remote Control for the Samsung GX-10

I’m not into the whole Canon versus Nikon versus Sony argument. I leave that to others more suitably qualified. The GX-10 is a great camera, it suits me and my needs and I’ve no intention of changing it in the near future. Oh! and another thing. I use a PC not a MAC, sorry if I’m disappointing you here, but a good fast PC will do the job just as well as a MAC and is a lot cheaper too

If you want to make me a contact that's fine by me but don't necessarily expect me to make you a contact in return. I probably will add you to my list but I do have a life outside of Flickr and I'm not into "you comment on mine, I'll comment on yours". If I like something I will comment but my main focus is my blog on WordPress.

If you've got a glittery award, good for you, but I don't need them, so thank you, but, NO THANK YOU.